Buying an edible cantaloupe is like playing the lottery, only with worse odds. I had just about given up any hope in purchasing a tasty cantaloupe this year, no matter the store. I think they all buy them from the same farm in Mexico where they toss out any ripe, juicy cantaloupes and put only the half green, hard-as-bricks and totally tasteless ‘lopes on the trucks. But lo’ and … [Read more...]
I Speck’ It’s Time
With cooler weather settling in, anglers are targeting speckled trout and they haven’t been disappointed. It is speck time in both VA and NC. Look for specks inside Lynnhaven, Little Creek and Rudee inlets, in creeks on the Eastern Shore, around the Poquoson Flats and in the York, Nansemond and Elizabeth Rivers. Many fish are ranging 18- to 22-inches, with a few exceeding 24-inches. The … [Read more...]
The World Series
On October 8, 1956, I was in 7th grade. At the 2 PM bell, they let students out of their classrooms and those who were interested assembled on chairs in the auditorium. A television set was on. The picture was a little fuzzy, but it was Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. The Dodgers and Yankees. Vin Scully and Mel Allen were the announcers. Babe Pinelli was the ump behind home plate … [Read more...]
Party On For Ducks
One of the best parties in Central Virginia is, and has been for years, the Jefferson’s Country Annual Banquet. On November 7 at the King Family Vineyard at 655o Roseland Farm in Crozet, it will happen again – an evening of fun, fellowship, great prizes and auction items and a chance to help insure the conservation and preservation of wetlands and our outdoor heritage for future … [Read more...]
Leaf Me Alone
They’re out there and they are falling. Leaves. What do we do with them? When I was a boy, Daddy would rake them to the edge of the curb and burn them. So did everybody else. October in Lewisburg carried the enchanting smell of burning leaves for much of the month. The question today is what to do with leaves. Namely, do you put them in a backyard garden – assuming you have a … [Read more...]
Be Still
I learned how to be still when I was 12-years old and set off in the hills of West Virginia to hunt squirrels, at first with no success. I stepped on twigs, I was in constant motion and anything but still. When it comes to being still – really still – squirrels are good teachers. If you turned your head when a squirrel was scratching in the leaves behind you - no squirrel. They scampered off. If … [Read more...]
My Friends: The Flickers
I saw a pair as I pulled in the driveway this week. They were Northern Flickers. I could tell by the white patches on their rumps as they flew away. Flickers are easily the most beautiful birds that grace my yard. Their plumage is complex and spectacular with a black “necklace” above their speckled breast, a red spot on the nape of the neck and a black moustache. A special few times they have … [Read more...]
Chicken Fried (Chuck) Steak
I had some really good Chicken Fried Steak at Mrs. Rowe’s in Staunton a few weeks back and thought I’d try my hand at it. In the past, I’ve attempted Chicken Fried Steaks with round steaks – pounded into oblivion – and they were still tough and chewy. Recently, I saw a cut called “Sizzling Steaks”. They were at Wal-Mart – 6 or 7 thinly sliced chuck steaks in a package. I knew chuck had a great … [Read more...]
Doe, A Deer, A Female Deer
On Wednesday, October 16, Bo Bundrick of Louisa shot this deer with his bow. It was most unusual for two reasons. First, the antlers were still in velvet – even in mid-October - and secondly, it was not a buck. It was a doe, a deer, a female deer – with antlers! A little background on antlers. Antlers differ from horns in that they are shed each year while horns are there forever. Deer drop … [Read more...]
Nags Head Fishing On Fire
They’re killing ‘em in Nags Head. Stripers, speckled trout, puppy drum. Not just some days, every day. Capt. Reese Stecher with Beach Bum Fishing says he’s never seen anything like it. “The fishing is unreal,” he said. “Everyday.” The speckled trout fishing has been very good around Oregon Inlet for the past few years, but it seems to be getting better and better with numerous five-pound … [Read more...]
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